Pavements are for People Relaunch Campaign

As part of Guide Dog Week 2018, leading sight loss charity, Guide Dogs NI, Cedar and the PSNI we have embarked on a one day awareness campaign across NI urging drivers to be more responsible when it comes to parking their cars.

Some groups – including people living with sight loss, older people or people using wheelchairs and mobility aids – are at greater risk from irresponsible parking.

Andrew Murdock, Policy & Engagement Manager for Guide Dogs NI, said:

“Parking on pavements blights pedestrians’ lives. It puts pedestrians in danger, particularly those living with sight loss. Imagine how scary it is for people without sight to have to walk in the middle of the road because the pavement is blocked?

We’re grateful for the support of the PSNI in urging drivers to think twice about how they park their vehicles.”

Cedar's Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Mathews, added:

"We are delighted to be working in continued partnership with Guide Dogs NI and PSNI to support the Parking on Pavements campaign. We hope it will raise awareness for drivers across NI to consider the impact irresponsible parking has on people with mobility difficulties."

Inspector Rosie Leech, PSNI stated:

“PSNI welcome this campaign as it helps highlight the road safety issue that may be caused when a driver parks on a footpath without any regard for people with mobility or visual impairments.

“Think about how a blind person might feel when confronted by a situation where their guide dog cannot negotiate past a parked car and is forced to detour onto the carriageway where live traffic is running; this danger is further exacerbated as they have no way of knowing whether this car is the only impediment ahead.

“Police will be supporting the campaign by using a combination of advisory notices and/or fixed penalty notices to vehicles they observe causing such an obstruction or when such cases are reported to us.”

To find out more on how you can support the campaign for responsible parking follow this link: www.guidedogs.org.uk/pavementparking.

The Cedar Foundation was set up in 1941 as the Northern Ireland Council for Orthopaedic Development and, forover 75 years, we have grown from an organisation dedicated to a single condition to one that focuses on the needs of the individual, whatever their disability.

Cedar delivers a range of services that enable people with disabilities to get the most out of life and to be fully included in their communities. Our services are centered around the individual needs of each person and are delivered throughout Northern Ireland.